This invention relates in general to processes for recovering and recycling catalysts used in chemical reactions. More particularly, it relates to recovering and recycling a catalyst used in an epoxy ring opening reaction.
Products derived from renewable feedstocks such as vegetable, algal or animal oils or fats would be desirable to help reduce the world dependence on oil and other fossil-derived hydrocarbons. Moreover, these oils or fats are typically biodegradable, which would help reduce the introduction of waste into the environment. Products produced with these feedstocks may also have improved properties.
An important way to utilize the renewable feedstocks is by the production of polyols from the feedstocks which can be used to produce a number of products. For example, there has been great interest in the ring opening of epoxidized soybean oil and other triglyceride oils to produce polyols.
A number of different catalysts are known for use in ring opening reactions. For example, the ring opening catalyst may be an acid catalyst. Examples of Lewis acids that may be suitable include phosphorous trichloride and boron halides. Examples of Bronsted acids include hydrofluoroboric acid, trifluoroacetic acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid phosphoric acid, boronic acids, sulfonic acids, and carboxylic acids.
It is also known to use tetrafluoroborate salts as catalysts in ring opening reactions. For example, Barluenga et al “Copper(II) Tetrafluoroborate Catalyzed Ring-Opening Reaction of Epoxides with Alcohols at Room Temperature”, Org. Lett., Vol. 4, No. 17, 2002, discloses ring opening of different epoxides by reaction with alcohols using copper tetrafluoroborate catalyst. Also, Benecke et al, U.S. patent application no. 2012/0129746 A1, published May 24, 2012, discloses hydrolyzing epoxidized soybean oil using copper tetrafluoroborate to produce a diol. Neither reference suggests a way to recover and recycle the catalyst.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a process of recovering and recycling a catalyst in ring opening reactions and other reactions.